


Return of the Cult Maniac

by Azeran



Series: Camp Camp [18]
Category: Camp Camp (Web Series)
Genre: Abuse, Daniel Being an Asshole (Camp Camp), Daniel Returns (Camp Camp), F/M, Gen, Gwen - Freeform, Gwen-centric, Past Abuse, Past Attempted Rape/Non-Con, gweniel - Freeform, gwenvid - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-27
Updated: 2020-02-25
Packaged: 2020-09-27 21:27:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 10,803
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20414581
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Azeran/pseuds/Azeran
Summary: Or in other words, Gwen can’t catch a break. Neither can David.A sequel to Attack of the Doppelgänger!





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Sequel to Attack of the Doppelgänger, with a direct tie in to the newest episode where Daniel returns to Camp Campbell. You’re going to want to read the original story before touching this one. 
> 
> Tags will be updated as we go along!

Fear wasn’t a feeling Gwen experienced very often. Anxiety, borderline depression, hysterical rage; she was well acquainted with those, and then some! But fear? Not a word in her vocabulary. Except when it was, in a few very _ special _cases. And the reigning king were her memories of that traumatizing day weeks ago, when Daniel had reappeared in their lives and tried to—

Fuck. Thinking about it made her sick. 

_ Daniel. _Gwen despised the bastard with every fiber of her being. His chilling blue eyes haunted her dreams, staring wickedly out of her best friend’s face as he smiled and spoke sweet lies into her ear, while his hands caressed her skin like poisonous spiders. Every day since he’d been taken away by the cops, Gwen had prayed for a phone call detailing his oh so tragic death at the hands of another prisoner. The bloodier the better. He deserved nothing less.

She never got her wish. In fact, fate decided to spit in her face, because the crazy cultist wasn’t in prison at all! Oh noooo. Daniel was right here, _ in their camp,_ grinning like the crazed lunatic he was as he locked gazes with Gwen and happily declared himself the Wood Scout’s new leader. Oh, and Camp Campbell belonged to them now, along with every single one of its members. Including Gwen herself. 

Yup. She was definitely going to be sick. 

Something strongly resembling terror began to unfurl within her chest, constricting her heart in its barbed grip. Gwen bit her lip so hard she tasted blood, and she took a step backwards. Or, well, she tried to. Her legs refused to work. Oh god, he was looking right at her! Gwen shuddered, a sensation not unlike the prickle of ice water trickling down her spine. She wanted to turn tail and run, hide somewhere Daniel could never find her, but she 

Couldn’t. 

Fucking. 

MOVE. 

Goddammit!! Why couldn’t she move?! 

“Gwen…” the frantic whisper in her ear yanked her back to reality, and she felt the warm touch of chapped fingers encircling her wrist. “Gwen, c’mon! We need to get you out of here.”

David. David was safe. He didn’t have breaking her sanity on his to do list. “Why is he here?” Gwen croaked, unable to stop staring at cultist. Daniel stared right back, his smile morphing into a cruel, utterly callous smirk for one flicker of a second before returning to normal. It was enough to make her want to scream. “Why…..why the hell is he _ here _ David??” Gwen grit her teeth and held back a shriek, though her voice still came out strangled, sounding eerily like a sob. “Oh god, David, I can’t—I can’t do this again. Daniel’s supposed to be in jail! Why the fuck isn’t he in jail?!”

“I don’t know. I don’t _ know _Gwen. But that’s not important right now. You’ve gotta get out of here!” David pulled her behind him and started slowly backing them away from the camp gathering. If she wasn’t afraid before, seeing the sheer horror and rage burning in David’s emerald eyes sure did the trick. “I can stay with the campers. Gwen, you need to get to town. Find help!”

“What, and leave you and the kids alone with that bastard? Hell no! You know what he’s capable of David!” 

“Exactly! I DO. That’s why you need to go,” David hissed, gently squeezing her wrist. “Listen to me. We can distract him long enough for you to make it to the car. Tell the cops what happened! We can figure out the rest after that, but you need to leave. It’s not safe for you here.”

It wasn’t safe for him either. Or Max. Oh god, Max!! Gwen frantically looked around, breathing a sigh of relief when she found the small brunette sandwiched between Neil and Nikki. But her peace ended there. Daniel had taken full advantage of her and David’s argument and was only a few feet away now, standing directly in front of her! She could practically smell him. 

Ugh. The fact that she remembered what he _ smelled _like was traumatizing. 

“Hey now, there’s no reason to whisper! C’mon gang! We’re all a team here. What were we talking about, hm?” Daniel craned his head to the side, unblinking as he drank the two of them in. Even with David blocking most of her from his view, the cultist still made Gwen feel...dirty. He saw right through her. And whether she liked it or not, there was no disillusionment between the two of them. 

Gwen was terrified, and Daniel _ relished _in it. 

“Fuck off. We’re no team,” she spat, squashing her nausea and fear down. Now wasn’t the time to be a coward. “You listen, and listen good. You might’ve gotten Pikeman and his little idiot squad on board with your play nice act, but nobody else here’s fooled Daniel. You’re a lunatic, and we won’t let you get away with this!!”

“Get away with..what, exactly? We won your camp, fair and square. Nothing nefarious going on here!” Daniel tsked, baring a toothy smile. “Honestly Gwen, I’m surprised at you! I can understand you’re upset, but things are going to be so much better for you now that Camp Campbell is the property of the Wood Scouts! You should be excited!”

Excited was the exact opposite of the emotion Gwen was experiencing right now. Ignoring the campers and David’s rioting in the background, she closed the gap between herself and the cultist and matched his smile tooth for tooth, a low growl in the back of her throat. “If you think I’ll let you drag us into your cult bullshit again, you’ve got another thing coming! You’re lucky I haven’t bashed your skull in for what you did to me.”

Daniel wasn’t cowed, not even a little bit. “Is that so?” He snagged a lock of her maroon hair and twisted it around his pale finger, the tips of his fingers grazing her cheek. “Oh Gwen, hasn’t anyone ever told you that words hurt? All I wanted was to liberate you from your misery! Is it really my fault that you didn’t see it that way?” 

“Yeah, actually!! It kinda is!! You were going to rape me Daniel,” Gwen snarled, keeping her voice low. That was one piece of information she didn’t want getting out to underage ears. “What kind of sick, perverted monster thinks something like that is helping? Oh, that’s right! YOU. YOU DO.”

“Rape? Gwen, don’t be ridiculous. Purging you of your negativity and worthless feelings for that idiot would be the ultimate kindness! You would’ve thanked me after!” Daniel peered past her to sneer at David, who glared right back before shooting Gwen a worried look. She waved him back, curling her hand into a fist. 

“You don’t get to decide that. I won’t let you. Just like I won’t let you destroy this camp!”

“But I’m not interested in destruction. Not anymore.” The curl of hair Daniel had wound around his index finger suddenly snapped taut. Gwen winced, and Daniel smugly pulled on it harder, forcing her to step close enough for him to grab her waist and hold tight. “Between you and me, I have other plans now. Plans I think you’ll be very interested in, with some..._ persuasion_..” Daniel whispered, pressing their foreheads together. Lavender meshed with glacial blue, his glassy gaze reflecting her own tear speckled one. 

“Oh yeah? Hope they’re better than your last few.” Gwen jerked her head back, ignoring the sting that burned across her scalp. Losing a few strands of hair was better than breathing the same air as this maniac. “You’re not going to win this. Give up!”

“What, and risk losing you? I don’t think so.” Daniel’s fingertips stabbed into the delicate spaces between her ribs, his warm breath fanning across her skin as he leaned in and delicately nipped her bottom lip. “Whether you like it or not, we’re fated to be, _ Gwendolyn_. Xemug himself has blessed our union! And as his loyal worshipper, I intend to see this arrangement through, whatever it takes.”

Whatever it takes. Those three words echoed with a booming and ominous chorus inside her skull, lingering even as Daniel gave her a gentle push backwards. Gwen stumbled, shell-shocked, barely aware of how David ran up to support her. He whispered platitudes and soft words of concern, wrapping an arm around her waist, but Gwen couldn’t process any of it. All she could focus on was _whatever it takes_, repeating itself in a constant loop. 

Bastard. What did that mean? What did he have planned??!

“Ignore him Gwen. C’mon,” David whispered. “We’ll figure this out. Together we can find a way out of this!” He drew her towards the campers, all huddled near the mess hall’s kitchen. Gwen let David hug her close as a tiny hand slipped into hers; Max, who pressed close to her leg and shot a scathing glare at the cult leader who watched them hunker together cheerfully. 

“Fucking psychopath. What are those Wood Scouts doing, letting a maniac like Daniel run things?!”

Excellent question brat. Hell if she had the answer. “Doesn’t matter. We just have to survive this shit show.” Gwen strokes the boy’s knuckles and tried not to flinch when Daniel and his new cronies prowled around the mess hall, encircling them. 

“Since you’re all here together, we might as well take advantage of the opportunity! Edward, why don’t you lead these scamps back to their tents? We need to get them dressed in their new uniforms!” Daniel ruffled Max’s hair, earning himself a swear. “You’ll feel like proper Wood Scouts soon, I promise! And as for you two,” he shifted his attention back to Gwen and David, though most of it rested on her. “I’ll personally bring you your uniforms in a bit! Until then, you should go wait in your cabin. I won’t be long.”

Didn’t take a genius to tell it wasn’t a suggestion. But David was yanking her away before she could tell Daniel exactly where to shove it. “Don’t,” David rasped, herding her and the kids out of the mess hall past Pikeman and the leering cultist. “Let's do what he says for now. It’ll be ok..”

“You’re lying.” With her anxiety clawing its way back to the surface, Gwen ignored her better judgment and looked back at Daniel. He simply beamed at their retreating backs, but she wasn’t fooled. That smile of his disguised something sinister. 

_ Whatever it takes_.

Fuck it all. Whatever he had planned, Daniel was just getting started. 


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gwen tries to come to terms with what’s happening. David just wants to help, and hash some things out. None of it goes well.

She barely made it into the cabin before Gwen collapsed onto the cut timber floors, dry heaving and shaking as the panic waded to the surface, shoving her back under its frigid depths. Somewhere far away she heard David calling her name, but Gwen couldn’t focus on it. Not when her mind was racing to keep up with what had just happened. 

Daniel…..Daniel was _ here. _He was here, in their camp, not fucking prison where his ass belonged. And he had the full backing of the Wood Scouts, the little twerps, who in turn had complete control of the camp and all its members! Was she forgetting anything?

Right. Of course. Daniel still wanted to take her as his wife, because his almighty overlord thought they’d make a great couple! How could she possibly forget that??

Gwen gagged, scratching her nails against the floor. As if she’d ever let that happen! Just the thought of Daniel touching her was enough to make her want to rip her skin off. And he definitely wanted to touch her. There’d been lust in his eyes, violent and raging as a thunderstorm. The way he looked at her, like he wanted to peel her clothes off and pin her against a wall—oh_ god. _

Well, at least he didn’t look like David anymore. There was no way in hell her psyche could take that right now. Gwen could practically feel it threatening to rip at the seams inside her skull, gaping wide enough to seep fresh fear into her bloodstream. She’d faced Daniel down back at the mess hall, but would she be able to do it again? 

No….no, Gwen didn’t think so. Daniel’s manic gaze burned her memory like a brand, reminiscent of the still healing scar above her eyebrow. Being in the cultist’s presence was enough to make her want to scream, cry, beg for mercy. Mercy Daniel didn’t possess, because he was a monster. 

A monster who would enjoy breaking her. 

“Gwen…..Gwen, please. I know you’re upset, but I need you to listen to me.”

David’s pleads didn’t drag her back from the brink of despair, but Gwen still latched onto them as if she were drowning, teary lilac eyes shooting up to the concerned counselor who’d knelt down beside her. “Why? Why should I listen, huh? In case you didn’t notice, we’re the property of a cult leader who wants to sacrifice you and the kids to his imaginary god, and brainwash me into his little minion!! All shit that gives me every right to freak the fuck out David!!”

David flinched. “I realize that, but...c’mon Gwen, don’t you think I’m scared too? Daniel being here is all of our worst nightmares! That’s why we’ve gotta stick together, and figure a way out of this!”

“Don’t. Don’t you dare talk to me about nightmares,” Gwen rasped. “That bastard haunts my dreams at night. No matter what I do, he’s there. Every. Fucking. NIGHT. You don’t know what that’s like! I dream about him touching me, kissing me—he was so close to _ raping _me David. If Max hadn’t been poking around, who knows what Daniel might’ve done!”

Lies. They both had a very clear cut understanding of what would’ve happened. Neither wanted to voice it though, so a bitter tension fell between them, only broken by David’s weak sigh. 

“It’s not really any consolation, but he’s given me a few nightmares of my own. I see him going after Max with that knife of his, but I...I can’t stop him.” David’s already pale complexion became the color of old milk, and Gwen felt her heart give a painful lurch. “And then I remember the things he said about you, what he wanted to do….Daniel said it was my fault Gwen. That if I’d been there for you, he never could’ve gotten as close to you as he did.”

That made zero sense. “Forget whatever bullshit he told you. Daniel’s got some screwy logic,” Gwen muttered, tentatively taking the hand David offered. His thumb traced over her skin in slow, meditative swirls; it was more of a relief than she’d ever be able to say. “There’s nothing you could’ve done David. You weren’t there. You were locked up in the bunker!”

“Yeah….Gwen, that..that’s not what he meant.” David turned to face her with a heavy sigh. “I never told you this, but after finding you in the cabin I went to confront Daniel. I realize it was stupid, going alone, but you were so upset, and I—I had to understand _ why! _Why did Daniel do those things to you? Why you specifically? Hurting you would’ve been one thing, but he went beyond that! So I….asked him.”

“You asked him,” Gwen repeated, her heart pounding a violent staccato inside her chest. “How? What—Daniel was locked up! What did you do?? Did you go down there with him?!”

“No! No, he’d already gotten out of the bunker by the time I got there. I found him outside. There was so much blood Gwen, I..I couldn’t believe it. Daniel murdered the cops, all of them, and then he—waited. Like he knew I’d come looking for him.” David clutched her hand, as if terrified she’d run away. “I’m so sorry Gwen. Daniel, he...I..!”

Forlorn green eyes fixated on her, and Gwen’s blood turned to icy slush, a yawning pit of horror opening up beneath her. “What the fuck did he tell you,” she whispered, already buckling under the words she saw taking shape on David’s mouth. 

“....Everything. Daniel told me _ everything _. About you, his plans. Your—your feelings.” David gripped her hand close to his chest, his thumb catching every panicked leap of her pulse. “Gwen, is it true? Do you..do you like me?”

Time seemed to stop after that. Gwen didn’t move, didn’t breathe. Didn’t catch the hopeful pleas in David’s voice, the shine of tears that threatened to trail down his flushed cheeks. She just blankly stared at her co-counselor with an unyielding expression carved out of stone, a facade betrayed solely by the slow parting of her lips as a pathetic, whimpering noise escaped them. 

“Feelings...”

This was it. Daniel’s final way of twisting the knife in her back. He might not have gotten to go through with his little plan, but this part had come back to haunt her with a vengeance. And she loathed him for it. 

“Don’t.” Gwen moaned, wrenching her hand free of David’s grip. “Don’t you dare ask me that. Are you serious right now?? After all the shit I’ve been through, _ we’ve been through, _you pick now to—to what exactly, David!? What the hell even is this??!”

“I don’t know!! I’m confused, and happy, and worried, but Gwen, it’s ok! If you do like me, I mean. I always wondered...hoped even—it just never seemed like the right time to ask! We’re coworkers, and I thought I was way out of your league, and…” David reached for her again, the tips of his fingers hovering over her cheekbone. “Please. _ Please _ tell me?”

Gwen forced herself to breathe, gulping down desperate, sobbing gasps of air. Anxiety pulsed through her, churning at the thought of what was happening right before her eyes. God, maybe Daniel was right. She was terrified of change. But there wasn’t any going back from this. He’d made sure of that. 

“I can’t David…”

“Why not? Gwen, look at me. Take a deep breath and try to calm down, ok? You’re upset, and I’m so sorry things are this messed up. It’s not fair, not to you, not to me. But I need you to tell me the truth right now,” David begged, smiling like the fucking sun that he was as he laced his fingers into her hair. “Tell me how you feel. How you _ really _feel Gwen. Because I think I—we might both be-!” 

The cabin door slammed open, cutting David off mid sentence. And there stood Gwen’s nightmare, back to ruin things like the well timed monster that he was, all toothy smiles and glinting eyes as Daniel feasted on their huddled positions and chuckled coolly. 

“Well well, aren’t I the lucky one? Looks like I’m right on time for the love confession! How exciting!”  



	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I picture this chapter very much like the final confrontation in Lion King, where Scar tries to turn the lionesses against Simba. It doesn’t quite work, but the pain is still there.
> 
> Three guesses who Scar is in this one.
> 
> It should also go without saying, but I don’t agree with the questionable opinions expressed within this chapter. Particularly Daniel’s. Everyone got screwed over by him, and it’s no one person’s fault except HIS.
> 
> Just thought I’d mention that. Enjoy the chapter!

David wasn’t a mean person. He didn’t like violence, physical or otherwise, and he’d never hurt someone unless absolutely necessary. Sometimes not even then! Seeing Daniel in their doorway was strongly making him rethink his moral values though. Maybe killing the cultist was still out of the question, but David wouldn’t mind throwing another punch or two in his direction! After all he’d done, he’d earned it. 

Choking back a frustrated noise, David rose to his feet and did his best to shield Gwen from Daniel’s view. He didn’t deserve to look at her. “You’re interrupting something very private Daniel. I’d like you to leave! ...Please.”

“Leave? But I’ve brought you your new uniforms!” Daniel cheerfully brandished a bundle of fabric, smiling despite his expression being anything but friendly. “Besides! I don’t think your flimsy attempt at a confession is going to change anything. Do you? After all, it’s your fault that I’m here at all! Or haven’t you told her yet?”

Bait. Trap. David forced himself to stand his ground, and not lunge for his bleached doppelganger like he really wanted to. “Daniel, why are you doing this? Gwen’s never done anything to you!”

“And you’ve never done anything to her. Or for her, should I say.” Daniel’s smile slipped a few degrees, but it was enough to cast his whole face with a monstrously cold light. “Tell her David. Tell Gwen about our little confrontation! I know you remember. You left my poor face rather banged up! It took weeks for the bruises to fade.”

“.....You punched him?” A soft tug on his wrist wavered David’s attention back to Gwen. She looked shocked, but—proud, almost. Happy. An emotion he hadn’t seen from her in so long, it nearly took his breath away. “Holy shit David.”

“Well...he had it coming!” David carefully letting his fingers caress the top of Gwen’s hand, the words love interest flashing like wildfire through his mind. But he kept that to himself as he faced the cultist with a grim frown. 

“Daniel, you may be a decent camp counselor, but that doesn’t change the fact that what you’ve done to Gwen, Max, and me are things that can’t be forgiven! Attempted murder, physical abuse..” David winced, feeling Gwen’s nails scratch his skin. One more thing, unspoken and yet the worst of them all. He couldn’t forget. “You can’t hurt people and get away with it! But if you stand down now and let me call the police, I promise, I”

“What? You won’t let anyone get hurt?” Daniel laughed, tossing his bundle onto their desk. David had to pretend really hard that he didn’t notice how Gwen flinched behind him. “Poor David. You can’t honestly believe I’ll surrender myself? When I’m this close to achieving my goals? No no no! If anyone’s going to surrender, it’s her.” 

Gwen stiffened, her skin going clammy in David’s grip. “Not a fucking chance. I’m not going anywhere with you!”

As much as it pained him to admit, David was so grateful that she spoke up. He was flabbergasted at Daniel’s audacity, and it took a moment for him to compose himself, forest colored eyes flashing with anger. “R-right. Gwen is staying right here!”

“Right here...with you, you mean. Because you can protect her,” Daniel drawled. “Now David, lying isn’t a good way to start building your relationship! Be honest. What exactly are you protecting her from? Her true potential? The life she deserves to be living?”

“What? No!! NO!” David cried out. “After all this time, all the things you’ve done, how can you even ask that? Gwen needs protecting from you! You, Daniel! You’re dangerous!!”

“Is that so?” Daniel’s teeth glittered in an uncomfortably wide smile. “But David, if I’m so dangerous, then why didn’t you kill me when you had the chance?”

A sharp inhale came from behind David. It might as well have been the sound of his patience and sanity fracturing. “I...kill?” The memories of the clearing rushed back to him. His fists pummeling Daniel’s face to a bloody pulp, his fingers _ itching _ to wrap themselves around that pale throat. “..No..I’d never. Murder is wrong,” David whispered. The crushing guilt within him disagreed. “You needed to be brought to justice. It was—is the right thing to do! Killing never solves anything!!”

“Oh really? That’s funny. I wonder if dear Gwen agrees with you...” 

With a dark laugh Daniel began to prowl around the room, but his gaze never once left his prey. And she met it full force, only the faintest shiver giving away her fear. “Tell her David! Tell Gwen _ aaaall _ about how I was at your mercy! Or should I?” A fever glowed in his blue eyes, a picture perfect contrast to Gwen’s misty lavender. “You should’ve seen it Gwen. Your precious David was like a wild animal! For someone who spouts all this pacifism and kindness, he was perfectly happy to beat me within an inch of my life! Another few punches, and I might’ve died from the trauma alone!”

“Yeah? Then why didn’t you? Would’ve been doing us all a favor,” Gwen spat, jerking away as Daniel’s spindly hand clasped her shoulder. “Spare me the mind games Daniel. You’re like a cockroach. No way a few weak ass punches from David were enough to put you under!” 

“You think so?” Daniel shrugged, casually brushing her arm as he swept by her and began to circle David like a hungry shark. “If that’s the case, then answer me this. _ Why isn’t David denying it?” _

A cloying silence settled over the three of them. Daniel looked pleased with himself; maybe he could smell the guilt that David was currently drowning in, which only grew worse as he met Gwen’s probing stare and didn’t, in fact, deny it. How could he? 

For once, Daniel was telling the truth. 

“Gwen...I…I’m sorry…”

Daniel immediately cut him off with a victorious cry. “There! You see? No denial! Because poor David here knows exactly what he’s done. Isn’t that right? Once again, you’ve left the door wide open for me to come and take what’s rightfully mine! I even gave you a chance to prove your worth! Remember that, _ Davey? _ Remember how I told you to kill me? I was defenseless, helpless against your almighty wrath! I told you what would happen if you didn’t end things right then and there. I SWORE I’d be back to make Gwen my beloved wife. And yet, you still wouldn’t do it. Instead you left me there, unconscious, despite all my warnings…” Daniel chuckled softly, sheer glee radiating from his every pore. “Such a dangerous choice, for someone who’s supposedly _ sooo _worried about Gwen’s safety.”

David tasted bile in the back of his throat. “That..that’s not—it wasn’t like that! You were trying to manipulate me Daniel! I couldn’t let you-!” 

Oh. Oh no. _ Manipulate. _That’s what Daniel was doing. Except he wasn’t the target. David quickly turned his back on the cult leader and faced Gwen, who was wide eyed and wan beneath her dusky complexion. No shouting, or swearing. She was deathly quiet, and that scared David more than anything else in the world. Angry Gwen he could handle. 

This...this was worse. 

“...Daniel told you to kill him?” Her voice was dull, emotionless. Only David could hear the way it cracked on a syllable or two, the sign of a Gwen who was trying very, _ very _ hard not to cry. “He _ said _those exact words??”

“No! I mean, yes, but-!” David made a frustrated noise and clasped Gwen’s hand. She didn’t pull away, but she didn’t welcome it either. Her skin was glacial against his own, and m as immobile as marble. “Gwen, don’t listen to him! I know what it sounds like, but I’d never intentionally put you in danger! Daniel’s insane, and he belongs in jail! I-I waited for the other officers to show up! I saw them take him away!”

Daniel let out a thoughtful hum, retracing his steps to hover casually at Gwen’s back. A devil on her shoulder, dressed all in holy white. “Take me...where? Ah, that’s right! The jail cell I’m clearly NOT sitting in! And whose fault is that again?” 

_ Yours. Your fault, your fault, YOUR FAULT. _

David was going to be sick. He’d ruined everything. Everyone was in danger because of him, but Gwen especially. She’d never forgive him, if she even bothered to speak to him after this. How could he ever make this up to her? Did he deserve to? He was such a terrible person! He-

“Stop.” 

Gwen’s scathing voice paused David’s spiraling descent into darkness. She jerked out of his grip and leveled both him and Daniel with a stare David swore would haunt his nightmares for the rest of his life. He’d never seen her so...afraid. Not even back then, when he’d found her bleeding in their bath tub, her face crusted in old blood. _ Her _blood. But just like that time, her fear extended to him too. 

Dear god, what had he done?

“Gwen…I—please. I’m so sorry. You have to believe me, I didn’t mean for any of this to happen! I swear!” David reached for her again, but she smacked him away and backed up towards the wall. 

“Don’t. Don’t touch me. I can’t deal with you right now.” Turning her verbal onslaught onto Daniel, Gwen scowled and jabbed a finger at his smirking face. “And YOU. I know what you’re trying to do, so wipe that smug look off your face!”

“Of course you do. I want you to! There shouldn’t be any secrets between us Gwen.” Daniel purred. “I want you to know everything about me, just as I do you! Above all else, our relationship will be built upon honesty. After all, isn't that what you need? Someone who’s unfailingly honest with you, no matter the consequences?” 

The finality of those words seemed to steal the air from the room. David gasped, and Gwen….Gwen didn’t respond. She slumped against the same desk she was so skittish about and wrapped her arms around herself, as if trying to prevent her own collapse. “You don’t know shit,” she finally whispered, her gaze firmly trained on the floor. “Stop pretending like you care, you fucking lunatic. It’s all a lie. You’ve got this illusion about us built up in that crazy head of yours, but it’s never gonna happen!!”

Daniel simply smiled. “We’ll just have to see about that, won't we?” With a pert step the cultist suddenly bounded over to the desk and snatched up one of the bundles he’d brought in. Gwen flinched away from him, but Daniel left her alone and walked towards the door, giving David that sickening grin of his as he passed by. “I imagine you could use some space, so why don’t we pick up this little chat later? David, come with me. You need to get dressed in your new uniform, and then can help the campers get changed too! Once everyone is finished, we’ll meet at the main campground! We’re going to start revitalizing this camp of yours into something worthwhile!”

“But...what about Gwen?” Daniel’s plans were conveniently absent of her presence. “Shouldn’t we work together to help the campers? Some of them are girls. They might feel more comfortable having her around.” David was grasping at straws, and every single one snapped to pieces under Daniel’s mocking stare. 

“The girls will be fine. I think Gwen’s earned herself some time to think.” Daniel clapped David on the back, spinning him towards the door with a polite chuckle. “We’ll handle things without her for a little while! And on the way to collect the kids, we can have a more private talk about the future of this camp. Doesn’t that sound nice David?”

Nice. It sounded terrible. The more Gwen was left alone to stew in her thoughts, the worse she’d feel. Which was probably what Daniel wanted. He was trying to turn her against him, cripple her trust. “Daniel, I really think Gwen should—”

“David, I’m sorry, but I don’t recall asking for your opinion! I’m in charge, remember? You’re not the head of this camp anymore.” His nails dug into David’s shoulder blade, making him wince. And then cold lips brushed his ear, Daniel’s friendly words carrying a threatening undercurrent. “If you don’t do as I say, I’ll be forced to take Gwen with me instead. There’s no witnesses around here David. We could be long gone before anyone suspected something was wrong.”

Pure terror filled David’s lungs. “You wouldn’t. What about your plans? Your revenge?” 

“Plans can change. I’m a flexible person!” Daniel’s nails cut deeper into his skin, eager to bruise. “Let’s try this one on for size. If you don’t walk out that door right now, I’ll tie you to that chair over there and make you watch as I finally christen Gwen as my bride. You’ll get the honor of bearing witness to our union, and once you’ve served your purpose, I’ll kill you!” Daniel’s mouth curved, breathy laughter teasing the sensitive spot behind David’s ear. “Now how’s that for a plan? Remember, be honest!”

Swallowing a desperate whine, David slowly shook his head. Daniel wasn’t making a threat. It was a promise. One he was perfectly capable of keeping. David couldn’t let that happen. Above all else, he couldn’t bear to put Gwen through that, even if it made her hate him. “I’ll go with you. Leave her alone, Daniel, please. I’m begging you.”

“Mm. Well, since you asked so nicely….fine. But I won’t tolerate any disobedience from you again. Next time I might have to start punishing someone! And I’d hate to see Gwen, or the children suffer for your poor choices!”

David went cold all over. What could he say to that? “R-right..of course. You’re the boss Daniel.” 

“Wonderful! Glad we have an understanding!” Daniel pushed him forward, a picture of joyful energy again. His promises still stung though, leaving a wounded David to shuffle reluctantly out of the cabin. He felt the moment Gwen started to watch his retreating back, but before he could say anything to her the door slammed shut, metaphorically and physically. 

Daniel was immediately at his side, head dementedly cocked at that unhealthy angle as he gave an encouraging wave towards the path leading back to camp. “_ Weeeeeell… _.? Lead the way, co-counselor! I’m right behind you!” 

“.....Right. Sorry Daniel.” David had no choice but to lead the cultist down the trail, despite every part of him screaming to run back inside with Gwen and lock the door. He hated this. He hated _ Daniel. _

Too bad there wasn’t a single thing he could do about it. David was trapped. 

They all were.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This took longer than I wanted to get out. I’ve been distracted by other shit. One shots and Halloween plans, and other things. Forgive me? <3

It wasn’t fair of her to blame David. Deep down in her mangled, bleeding heart, Gwen knew that. But every instinct was screaming at her to lay the blame on someone, ANYONE, or else the pain would tear her apart. Poor David fit the bill. If he’d just killed Daniel when he had a chance, they wouldn’t be in this situation! Daniel never would’ve come back to camp, said those—_ things. _

Gwen shivered, clutching her forearms so hard her nails cut into the skin. It wasn’t fair, _ wasn’t fair... _ but blaming David felt nicer than hating herself. Fuck, why was she so weak? If she’d just fought harder, _ screamed louder, _then maybe Daniel wouldn’t be in a position now to tear their camp, and their friendship, apart. She could’ve prevented all this!

_ So could have David…. _

That traitorous voice whispered silkily into her ear, sounding an awful lot like a certain manipulative cultist. Gwen knew she couldn’t listen to it. Daniel was trying to drive a wedge between her and David, pulling their strings like a puppeteer. But it was so tempting to give in, believe the lies he’d spun. Because they weren’t all lies, were they? That was the cruelest thing about Daniel. He took the truth and wove it into a complex web, designed to catch his prey in its sticky grasp. And Gwen...she was smack dab at the center, with no clear way out. 

Her body shook with violent, wracking tremors. Gwen didn’t even realize she was crying until she collapsed at the foot of the desk and buried her face in her legs. She couldn’t stop. There was a deluge of emotions and thoughts writhing inside her, like a chained, feral beast. How was she supposed to deal with all of them at once? She was furious at David for keeping secrets. Talking with Daniel was one thing, but doing it alone? Not telling her?! And what about his almost confession? What was David thinking?! He’d picked the worst possible time to—to..!

Gwen whined, burying her fingers in her maroon locks. She was so confused! She didn’t know what to think, what to feel. Another time, another place, she might’ve been happy to hear what was undoubtedly going to be a love confession from David! But she wasn’t the same person anymore. Not since what happened. Not since _ Daniel. _ And now he was back, determined to do whatever it took to woo her to his side. 

Part of her wondered if she shouldn’t just give herself up. Daniel might spare everyone. He might leave David alone. Because no matter how angry she was, Gwen couldn’t bear the thought of David getting hurt because of her own selfishness. He deserved better than that. 

Still, giving in to Daniel...Gwen moaned, remembering his hands on her skin, his head bowed between her legs. Recalibration through sex. That’s what he wanted. He’d use her, and break her, again and again and _ again _until she was the perfect little wife he wanted. It was a mortifying though. 

Which was she more afraid of though? David getting hurt, or Daniel finally getting what he desired?

So wrapped up in her own miserable thoughts, Gwen didn’t hear the cabin door swing open. She also didn’t hear the patter of footsteps approaching, until red sneakers appeared in her line of sight, a snarky voice cutting through the tension with all the finesse of a rusty knife. 

“What the _ fuck _are you doing?”

Sniffling, Gwen slowly lifted her head. Max. Of course it was him. The kid was scowling at her ferociously, his aqua eyes flat, cold. They took all of her in, her pathetic state on full display, and then softened, just a little. A stranger never would’ve noticed. Hell, she was half sure she was hallucinating it. 

“Max? What’re you doing here?”

“Checking on your sorry ass,” was his immediate retort. “I saw David and our friendly neighborhood cultist walking back to camp, but you weren’t with them. Gave me a bad feeling. For all I knew, that creepy asshole did something to you.” 

There was a heavy implication behind his words, like Max was leaving off something important. It left her feeling incredibly uncomfortable. For a child, he saw too much. Knew more than he should. “I’m fine. Daniel didn’t do anything.” 

“Uhuh.” 

Gwen stiffened. “Uhuh _ what?” _

Max rolled his eyes. “You’re a terrible liar. If you’re fine, then why were you bawling your eyes out when I came in? You don’t cry for no reason stupid. I mean, usually the reasons you _ do _ cry are pretty stupid, but it’s too big a coincidence for you to be crying like this literally right after Daniel left. He must’ve done _ something.” _

“Even if he did, you don’t need to worry about it,” Gwen snapped, wiping her cheeks dry. “It’s none of your business.”

Crossing his arms in a way that reminded her all too much of David, Max glowered at her and pursed his lips. “Oh yeah? Why? Think I’m not strong enough to handle it? Newsflash genius, Daniel threatened to kill me! Remember? And he tried to make the whole camp think I was crazy! I think I can handle hearing whatever shitty things that maniac said to get under your skin.”

If only. “It’s not that simple. Daniel didn’t just _ say _stuff Max. He…” no. She couldn’t tell him. Gwen wanted to vent, but Max was way too young to be hearing about that kind of stuff. Regardless of whatever his home life had done to harden his heart, he was still a kid. A certified smartass with a bone to pick with the world, but a kid. 

“He what?”

Gwen cringed. “....nothing. Forget about it.”

Max gave her a dirty look. “Did you hear a word I just said? C’mon Gwen, don’t be an idiot! You’re the one always saying how important it is to talk about our feelings and shit.”

“You’re thinking of David.”

“Yeah right. Like he knows how to be anything but happy. He’d put up a smile even if he was dying! You’re the one who actually shows emotion.” A tanned finger jabbed Gwen’s forehead. “That’s how I know Daniel did something. Not just today either. The last time he was here, you vanished without a trace! And when you came back, you had bandages on your forehead. Right where that scar is.” Max yanked his hand away, flitting his gaze between the puckered skin and Gwen’s face. “Daniel attacked you, right?”

“I mean, yeah….sort of.” Fuck, there really wasn’t a better way to describe it, unless she revealed the whole story. Daniel had attacked her, sure. But her and Max’s situations were entirely different. Daniel genuinely wanted to kill the kid. 

Not her though. Never her. 

“Look Max, I can’t talk about it. Not with you. Ok? It’s...you’re too young. You don’t need to hear about this crap.” Gwen picked herself off the floor, offering the black haired boy a flimsy smile. “I’m fine now. See? No more crying.”

Max looked skeptical. “You think I’m stupid? Don’t try to lie to a professional Gwen. I know you better than that. You’re hiding something. David’s been terrified to so much as breathe in your direction since Daniel tried to murder us all! Whatever he did, Davey’s in on it. He _ knows.” _

“Of course he knows! We don’t keep secrets from each other.” Until recently, anyway. Gwen shoved those dark thoughts away and focused on Max, ignoring the panicky way her heartbeat stuttered. Her patience was already razor thin, and he was pushing it to the brink. “Max, what happened is between me and David-”

“And Daniel.”

Gwen grit her teeth. Just the sound of his name set her skin crawling. “....and Daniel. You don’t need to know. It’s private.”

“Private huh?” Scrutinizing her, Max huffed. “What’s so damn bad that you can’t even talk about it? You talk about everything!” Staring her down, a dark shadow suddenly ghosted over his face, teal irises churning like a tropical storm. Gwen stared back, sick to her stomach at all the conflicting emotions she saw. One in particular won out. 

For a split second, Max looked...afraid. Afraid, for _ her. _

“Geez Gwen…what the hell did Daniel do to you??”

_ Everything. _

_ Nothing. _

_ Enough. _

Gwen’s cheeks burned with heat. “Drop it.” When Max opened his mouth, probably to spout off more snark, she immediately cut him off. “I’m not kidding Max. DROP IT.” 

Max glowered at her, huffing. “Fine. Sorry for actually giving a shit. Should’ve known you’d be stubborn.” In a flash of blue and black he darted for the door, not sparing her a backwards glance. “Keep your damn secrets! I’m gonna go see where David went. If I can get him away from Daniel, I bet he’ll tell me anyway!” 

Wait, what? “Max, no!!” Gwen rushed to her feet and chased after him, but she was too late. Max was long gone. When he wanted to, he could disappear like it was nothing. “Fuckfuck..” grasping the doorway so tightly her knuckles went pale, Gwen nervously looked around, desperately hoping she’d see a sign of a blue hoodie, or dark curls. The last thing she wanted was for Max to be anywhere near Daniel! What if he got hurt? What if Daniel threatened him to get back at David?

Dammit. She only had one option. Gwen had to go after him. Stewing over what David and Daniel did wasn’t going to get her anywhere, and as much as the brat irritated her, she cared about Max. She couldn’t let him go alone! 

“You better not get caught, you little…” Gwen made to bolt out of the cabin, but something plucked at her memory, a niggling thought. Then she saw the bundle Daniel had left on the desk; her so called new uniform. If she went after Max as is, and Daniel caught them, would he be mad? Would he punish her for not changing?

……..stupid question. Of course he would. Or worse, he’d punish David. Daniel was a tyrannical bastard that way. Frustrated, Gwen snatched the bundle up and ran into the bathroom to change, stubbornly refusing to notice that all of the fabric in her hands was a brilliant, bleached white. She’d deal with it later. She’d deal with _ everything later. _

Right now, she had two idiots to chase after. 


	5. Chapter 5

Daniel's fingertips were like talons, driving into David’s shoulder with skin bruising force as he was led down the trodden path. Every second they walked further and further away from the cabin was torture for David, because he knew Gwen was upset. He wanted to be there for her, comfort her! But Daniel kept pushing him forward, his perky voice cutting through the silence with a cruel whiplash. 

“You know, I expected more outrage from the man who bashed my face in. Where’s the righteous fury? Where’s the passion? You’re so glum, it’s downright depressing,” Daniel drawled, vindictive glee coating each syllable. “C’mon Davey! Why so silent? You must have  _ so  _ many questions. Ask me anything! I’m an open book!”

Liar. Manipulator. David sucked in a deep, calming breath, not that it did anything to curb his anger. “I’m sorry Daniel, but I have nothing to say to you. You hurt Gwen,  _ again.  _ No, worse than that! You’ve completely traumatized her! And for what? Because Xemug told you to?”

“In part, yes.” Daniel agreed. “Though that’s a terribly whitewashed way of putting it. Xemug may command me as his loyal servant, but I do make my own choices. It just so happens that his wants, and mine, are currently aligned!”

“And what do you want?” 

“Hm? Why David, what a question! You already know the answer to that.” Daniel squeezed his shoulder, giving him a gentle shake. “Gwen. I want Gwen.  Beautiful, clever Gwen, who was blessed by Xemug himself to stand by my side. And why shouldn’t she be? Gwen’s everything I could ever want! Smart, determined, tenacious. She makes for quite a lovely picture too....” 

David couldn’t help himself at that. Hearing all of the things he loved about Gwen coming from that...that lunatic cracked what little willpower he had left nearly in two. He shoved Daniel’s hand off his shoulder and whirled on the cultist, his new uniform absently thrown to the dirt. “Stop talking about her like that!! Gwen isn’t something you can claim, Daniel! She’s her own person! She has thoughts, opinions! You can’t just take those away from her! What you did, tried to do, it’s..it’s inhuman!!” David shuddered, picturing Gwen’s lavender eyes turning to stone as she pushed him away. It wasn’t fair. Not fair, not fair… 

“Inhuman? Don’t be ridiculous. I gave Gwen the one thing you never could. And you know what they say~! The truth shall set you free!” Daniel smirked. “Face it David. You and Gwen may have history, but I’m the only one who’s been truly honest with her.”

Truly honest?? David sputtered, throwing his hands up in the air. “When? WHEN have you ever been honest Daniel?! You’ve been lying to us both since the first time we met! You pretended to be a counselor! You pretended to be my friend! And as if that wasn’t enough, you held me hostage in a bomb shelter while you PRETENDED to be ME! You used my face to hurt my best friend in the whole wide world!”

“Hurt her? Hardly. I just gave Gwen a taste of what could be. A life where she’s loved, cherished! Something you’ve consistently denied her.” A dark shadow swept over Daniel’s face, contorting his smile into something truly demonic. “Think about it David. The only reason she even figured me out is because I didn’t approach her like a friend, but a  _ romantic interest.  _ She couldn’t take it! You’ve abused poor Gwen’s feelings to the point where she never once let herself believe you could actually be together! And all the while you were pining for her, like some lovesick puppy!” Daniel snorted, shaking his head. “How sad is that?” 

That cracked thing inside David crumbled to pieces with those words, and he reeled back, tears making his vision go blurry. Daniel knew just what to say to drive the knife in deeper. But like it or not, he couldn’t retaliate. David had to push his feelings down and resist the impulse to beat the creep senseless...again. Even though he deserved it. 

“......I know I’ve hurt Gwen. I know that. I’ve made plenty of mistakes with our relationship, and that’s on me. I can’t blame you for my choices Daniel.” David choked back another pained noise and grit his teeth, the grimmest parody of a smile he could muster. “Just like you can’t blame me for yours. Paint it any way you want, but the truth is you attacked her! You hurt her! You—” 

“What? I what? Tell me David. I’m just dying to hear!” Daniel sneered at him, chips of ice replacing his blue eyes. “What did I do?” 

David clenched his fists, the taste of bile in the back of his throat. “Daniel, you were going to  _ rape her.  _ Max is the only reason you didn’t go through with it! If he hadn’t been there, you”

“I would’ve succeeded.” That cold gaze lit up like fire, and the passion David saw there made his stomach roil. “Oh David, don’t look at me like that! Recalibration is a popular conversion technique in my religion. It may seem drastic, by your standards, but it’s very effective! Depending on the pliability of the subject, it can only take a few sessions for the therapy to really take hold.” 

“A few sessions?” David’s voice came out strangled, barely louder than a whisper. “You were going to rape her  _ again??” _

“Convert, David. There is a difference! And yes. I would have. Whatever it takes for the therapy to properly take hold.” 

Oh god.  _ Oh god.  _ He was a monster. “That’s...how could you? Don’t you hear yourself Daniel? What you’re saying is sick, and—and WRONG! It’s wrong! You can’t do that to someone!”

“Not  _ someone.  _ Gwen. I wouldn’t use such drastic measures on everyone! But she’s very special. She requires a more...personal touch.” Daniel sighed, offering a lighthearted shrug. “It’s a shame though. Had you and Max stayed out of things, we could’ve avoided all of this. But you just  _ had  _ to stick your noses in where they don’t belong. Now it’s going to take so much more work to mold dear Gwen into the perfect wife! Far more than what I originally had planned.” 

David paled to a sickly white, sinking his fingernails into his palms. Daniel couldn’t be serious. “I won’t let you hurt her. You won’t get away with this.”

“Is that so?” Daniel leaned in and rasped the air with a dark laugh. “Let me tell you what I think.  _ I think,  _ you’re going to let me and her settle this like adults. You’re going to stay OUT OF MY WAY. Because if you don’t, Gwen will be the one to suffer the consequences.” With a nasty cracking sound his head jerked to the side, his cheshire smile on full display. “Can you live with that David? Well?  _ CAN YOU?”  _

He never got a chance to respond. 

From the trees came a loud shout, followed by a blur of blue and black. David barely blinked in the time it took for that small figure to slam into Daniel’s legs, knocking him flat on his ass. Swears punctuated the slam of tiny fists into the cult leader’s stomach, a rapid  _ thud thud thud.  _ And with each punch David felt his panic rise. 

Max? 

No. NO! “Max!!” David flew forward, grappling for the child’s hoodie. His fingers slipped through thin air though as Max was thrown to the side, landing a few feet away. Almost immediately Daniel was chasing after him, and that’s when David saw it. Something silver and bright that gleamed in his right hand, with a razor sharp point. 

A knife. He had a knife!!

“Don’t hurt him! Daniel, stop! Leave him alone!” David screamed, his heart throbbing inside his chest. Please no. NonoNo! He couldn’t let someone else be cared about get hurt! “MAX!!

Two warning shouts twisted together in the chaos as another figure suddenly burst from the trees, rushing towards them like a ghostly smudge. At first, all David saw was white _ .  _ But then smooth expanses of brown skin came into focus, and waves of maroon hair left hanging limp and wild around a flustered face. 

“Stop!! Daniel, STOP!! Don’t you dare fucking touch him!” 

David gasped, panic bleeding straight into horror at the sight of Gwen dropping to her knees in front of Max’s sprawled body, shielding him protectively behind her skirt. Her pristine, white skirt. 

_ Virginal white.  _

_ BRIDAL WHITE.  _

Oh god, he was going to throw up. Gwen was dressed _just like Daniel._


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Have a chapter more from Max’s perspective. It’s long overdue, don’t you think?

Max wasn’t stupid. He’d known something was wrong with Gwen for weeks. Her aversion to touch? The crying? How she tried to avoid looking at David unless she absolutely had to? A dumbass would probably assume they broke up or something, but Max was smarter than that. First of all, they weren’t dating. They should be, but they weren’t. Second of all, nothing changed between them until AFTER Daniel’s little doppelgänger stunt. And if his name was even mentioned around Gwen now, she’d shut down, go blank. Almost catatonic. Max knew all about that.

Goddammit. How did he not figure it out sooner? Gwen was traumatized! She’d been hurt, maybe even nearly killed! But it took Daniel fucking _ admitting _what he’d done for Max to put the stupid pieces together. 

He’d abused her. _ Touched her. _

Max shuddered. He’d watched Law and Order before. He understood sex, and how some people wanted to take it without permission. People like Daniel. Ugh. Max wished he could bleach his brain and forget all this shit, Daniel’s stupid confession, but he….couldn’t. 

He kept picturing Gwen’s tear streaked face, and it made his blood boil. 

What the cultist had tried to do—it was…..sick. It was twisted! It was WRONG_ . _And worst of all, it was all part of his psychotic plan. Daniel wanted to turn Gwen into his perfect little bride, so he hurt her. 

_ He almost raped her. _

Those words repeated themselves inside his head in an ugly, vicious chant as Max hunkered down in the trees, watching Daniel circle David like some kind of hungry predator, preying on his fears as if he were a bloodthirsty, starving animal. A dangerous animal, capable of things Max never would’ve dreamed of. 

Fuck it all. This kind of shit was only supposed to happen on tv! Daniel couldn’t actually want to do those things to Gwen…could he? It made sense though. The man was a lunatic. And crazy bred more crazy. Why wouldn’t Daniel want to make more of himself? Isn’t that what cultists did?

Gnawing anxiously on his lower lip, Max tried to ignore the goose bumps pimpling his skin beneath his hoodie. Daniel just kept _ smiling _at David, that too big for his face grin that was all teeth and gums—except it was different now. Cruel laughter suddenly erupted from the cult leader, and a shiver rolled down Max’s spine. The words that followed it though...oh fuck. 

Daniel was _ threatening David. _

He was threatening to _ use Gwen against him. _

_ …..He was going to keep hurting her. _

Max’s vision went white. He crashed out of the trees like a thunderstorm and launched himself at Daniel, ignoring David’s panicked shout. All he could think about was Gwen. Gwen, who didn’t hesitate to call him out on his crap. Gwen, the one person in the entire fucking camp who took him semi seriously, other than David. Gwen, who actually gave a shit, in her own unique way. 

Fuck. Would she still care about him if Daniel sank his claws into her?

A feral scream tore from Max’s mouth. No way was he letting that happen!! He swung his tiny fists at any part of the crazy cultist he could reach, using his blunted fingernails to tear at Daniel’s skin. 

He deserved to pay! He’d gone too fucking far this time! 

“You psychotic bastard!! How could you, huh?? How could you do that to her?!!” Max kicked Daniel’s calf, turquoise eyes suddenly clashing with icy blue as the maniac yelped and fixed his gaze upon him. 

It was game over after that. Daniel grabbed him by the scruff and threw him aside as if he were no better than a rag doll. Max landed several feet away in the hard dirt, crying out when his wrist twisted sharply beneath him. He thought he heard a crack, but maybe that was the sound of Daniel’s neck again. 

….Which meant he was coming closer. Shit!

“Max!!! 

Through a fog of pain, Max heard David’s cry. He also saw a flash of silver catch the light, its edges sharp and jaggedly curved as it sliced through the air above him. Oh fuck, Daniel had a knife! He was gonna get stabbed! 

“Stop!! Daniel, STOP!!” 

The knife halted mid-descent, gleaming dangerously. It was but a scarce inch or so from the smudge of white that had appeared out of nowhere and now hovered protectively in front of Max’s crumpled body. 

Blinking back tears, Max peeked up through his curls and saw not a smudge, but Gwen, dressed up in a chalk colored sundress, maroon hair hanging loose around her flushed face. “Don’t you dare fucking touch him,” she hissed through her teeth. “You hear me Daniel? Leave him ALONE.”

Daniel hummed, apparently less than surprised by her arrival, _ or _ her reactions. He’d probably planned on it, Max thought bitterly. “Hello Gwen! I was wondering when you’d show up. You look absolutely lovely, by the way. White suits you!” Daniel shifted the knife a little closer, grazing its tip down Gwen’s neck. “Now, won’t you be a dear and move aside? I’d hate to sully your new clothes with a little _ accidental _ bloodshed…” 

Max swallowed, nervously grasping the hem of her dress. Gwen glanced at him, but her attention quickly shifted back to the cult leader. 

“Fuck you. I won’t let you touch Max! Or David,” she spat, seeing Daniel’s leer shift towards the redhead. David tensed up, nervously watching Daniel’s hand. 

“Gwen, don’t…..you’ll make him angry. He could hurt you!”

“He won’t. He _ can’t.” _ Gwen ignored the rest of David’s nervous stammering, shifting even more of her frame in front of Max. Her chest heaved, gasping breaths ghosting across the blade in Daniel’s grasp. “Isn't that right, you fucking lunatic? You won’t hurt me. You need me _ alive.” _

Daniel grinned, showing nothing but quiet amusement in the face of Gwen’s fury. “Well, you’re not _ wrong. _ I can’t very well lead a dead bride down the aisle, after all. Xemug has standards!” He dragged the knife point down her skin, until it caught on the ties holding her neckline closed, plucking at the small bow. “Still. If you’re feeling uncooperative, some gentle _ persuasion _might change your tune….”

David sucked in a breath behind them, and Gwen froze, a wordless snarl on her lips. If not for the slight twitch of her fingers, Max might’ve believed she wasn’t afraid. But she was. 

He could see it in her eyes. 

“...You won’t. I’d run myself through on your fucking knife before I let that happen.” 

“Only if I let you,” Daniel retorted. His wrist twisted, and the top of Gwen’s dress suddenly gaped open, exposing an uncomfortable amount of tanned skin. 

  
Max quickly looked away, shivering with disgust. That was...seriously fucked up.

To her credit though, Gwen didn’t flinch. Much. 

“I hope you rot in hell, you sadistic fuck.” 

“Hell? Don’t be silly. We won’t be going to hell, Gwen! Our deaths will reunite us with the ancient celestial ones, and we’ll embrace eternity together amongst the stars!” Daniel cocked his head to the side, staring at her torn neckline. “Though if Xemug sees fit to bless our union here on earth, he might delay our ascension a bit longer. Wouldn’t that be nice? It would certainly give us time to...._ properly acquaint _each other with our physical spirits first.”

Oh. OH. That was so gross. Max wanted to throw up. “You’re seriously fucked in the head, you know that? I thought I had issues, but you—you’re just _ sick. _Who even talks that way about people?!”

Daniel shrugged. “Your sickness is my enlightenment Max. Maybe you’ll understand when you’re older! If you live that long,” he added coolly. “Accidents happen to small, nosy children all the time. It wouldn’t take much….”

“Stop it!!” 

“Daniel! Leave him alone!!” 

David and Gwen’s explosive shouts formed a chorus, ringing in Max’s ears. But it was Gwen that smacked Daniel’s hand away, making him stumble back a step. “You wanna mess with me? Fine. Do your worst, asshole! Just...leave Max alone. Ok? He’s a fucking kid! He doesn’t need to be a part of this!” 

“He _ made _ himself a part of this when he attacked me,” Daniel retorted. He lowered the knife though, eyeing Gwen with an expression Max recognized. It was glee. No. _ Joy. _ Like this was exactly what he wanted to happen. “But I suppose...it doesn’t _ have _to end that way. What would you give me, if I left him alone? Or maybe even both of them,” Daniel added slyly, throwing a look towards David. 

Uh-oh. This was bad. VERY bad. “Gwen…?” Max pulled on her dress. She ignored him and stubbornly kept facing Daniel, her jaw clenched as tight as steel. 

“Fuck you, you manipulative piece of shit. You already know what I’ll say.”

“Mm...and yet, I still need to hear it.”

Shit. Shitshitshit. Max felt his anxiety flare up hard, suspicion making his brain spiral into a very dark place. Daniel wasn’t subtle. It was easy to figure out what he was hinting at, what Gwen was refusing to say. “You’re not actually listening to this bullshit, are you?” Max saw her grit her teeth, and the anger took over. “No! C’mon Gwen! Are you serious right now?! Daniel’s playing you! Don’t be stupid!” 

“You think I don’t know that? I’m not an idiot,” Gwen hissed right back at him. 

“Yeah? Well, you’re sure acting like one!!”

“Shut up Max!! You don’t get a say in this!”

“....what about me?” 

David’s whisper broke through their bickering, barely louder than a gentle breeze. He took a careful step forward, braving the knife that Daniel immediately turned on him. For a split second, Max’s heart stopped. But Daniel didn’t do anything else. He simply stood there and grinned, looking like a cat who caught the canary. 

Maybe he had. 

“..What about me, Gwen?” David shook his head. A lock of hair fell over his forehead, sticky with sweat. It made him look younger. More vulnerable. “It’s not only your life we’re talking about here. It’s mine! Ours…..shouldn’t I get a say too?”

Gwen didn’t respond. She didn’t have a chance to. A burst of laughter from Daniel cut her off all at once, dissolving into vicious glee as he gestured to the watch on his wrist with the knife. “Oh David, you’re so naive! I wish we had more time to explore these misguided feelings of yours regarding Gwen and her future, but we’ve run out of time! We were supposed to have you changed and ready to meet with the campers by now! They’re waiting!” 

Wait—what? Max blinked twice, squinting. “Are you fucking serious right now?”

“Of course I’m serious. Punctuality is very important Max!” Daniel’s knife seemed to vanish midair, and he gleefully waved at the path in front of them, beaming ear to ear. “What a shame. I guess we’ll have to pick this up later! But for now, how about you three lead the way? We are on a time crunch, after all!”

That settled it. Daniel was enjoying this. He was a sociopath, and he reveled in destroying people’s emotional integrity. It was all some kind of twisted game to him. “.......fuck you. Fuck you SO fucking hard. I hope you die in a ditch, you crazy ass piece of shit.” Max threw Daniel the middle finger and fisted the hem of Gwen’s dress to drag her away, David trailing at their heels like a lost puppy. 

Goddammit. He was going to get emotional whiplash at the rate this shit was going. And judging by the way Gwen buried her face in her hands, smothering a pathetic mewl, she felt the same way. 

That….or she was trying not to cry. Max didn’t know which one it was. 

Honestly though? He wasn’t sure he _ wanted _to. 


End file.
